I am a passionate speaker, entrepreneur, Navy SEAL combat veteran, and the Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer at Internet Marketing Inc. (IMI), one of the fastest growing digital marketing agencies in the country. IMI specializes in analytics and data-driven integrated online marketing strategies for medium and enterprise-level clients. IMI was recently named #185 on the prestigious Inc. 500 list of the fastest growing private companies in the country. I earned a degree in finance from Southern Methodist University, studied English and History at Oxford University, and have a Master’s Degree in real estate finance and development from the University of San Diego. I'm also a public speaker and TV personality, recently appearing on NBC’s reality series ‘Stars Earn Stripes’.

5 Habits That Effective Team Members Should Never Outgrow

As a former Navy SEAL, I have had the blessing of being part of one of the most team-oriented cultures that has ever existed. To be part of an elite team you must develop the types of habits that will positively contribute to mission success.

The term “habit” generally has a negative connotation, but if you form the right habits and shed the bad ones your team will be that much stronger. This usually requires letting selfishness fall by the wayside. I’ve gotten these habits right, and I’ve gotten them wrong, many times. But those mistakes of yesterday have forged me into a better leader and team member today.

If you are planning on making some behavioral changes in order to be a more effective member of your team, be sure to retain or develop these habits!

Put others before yourself. This is a simple concept that requires more attention than most people think. My recommendation is to get up every day and ask yourself what you will do to add value to your team and the organization as a whole. It can be the smallest thing; a simple gesture or offering of your assistance with a project. The challenge is overcoming the urge not to offer due to the fear that your team member might say yes!

Reflect on your actions. This is another habit that some might think can become a fault. Overly reflective people often spend too much time over-analyzing their actions. But imagine if you could harness this talent into something highly valuable? This point reminds me of a time when our platoon was preparing for a mission at one of our shooting ranges in Iraq. I had failed to reload one of my pistol mags after the previous night’s operation and our point man, the best-selling author of “No Easy Day” (under the pseudonym Mark Owen), discovered my mistake. I still think about the look of disappointment that was on his face to this day. Sometimes the smallest task you are responsible for can make or break the success of your team. If you drop the ball, the result will be the entire team’s failure.

Be obsessively organized. Being organized is definitely something that can be learned. Some of us innately have this ability, often to a fault, and some have to work at it a bit more. You just have to find a process that works for you. Good team members, especially team leaders, must be organized in order to support the team’s objectives. I’ve even known people that will put something on their To Do list after they did it, and then cross it off to feel a greater sense of accomplishment! Whatever your system is, make it work for you.

Assume you don’t know enough. Because you don’t.Any effective team member understands that their training is never complete. It’s true in the SEAL Teams and it’s true in any elite team. Personal and professional development is critical to a team’s continued success. Those who assume they know everything should be eliminated. Those who spend time inside and outside of the workplace developing their knowledge and skills will provide the momentum for their team’s forward progress.

Never get comfortable. Always push yourself outside of your comfort zone.If you do this continually with every task you take on, that boundary will continue to widen. This process will ensure that you are continually maximizing your potential which will positively impact your team.

U.S. Navy Sea-Air-Land (SEAL) team members participate in a tactical warfare training. The SEAL in the foreground is carrying a field radio and is armed with a Colt Model 653 carbine equipped with an M203 grenade launcher. Note the open ejection port cover. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You may be wondering how you could ever have a relaxed life if you maintain all of these habits. But that’s the beauty of it. If you enjoy what you do and form good habits, it all becomes second nature. Maintain these habits and encourage your team members to do the same.

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